Courageously facing the moment of death is another active way of living for patients and their families.

We often forget that a dying person is losing everything: house, job, relatives, body and mind. All the losses that we experience through daily life combine in one gigantic loss when death comes. So how could a dying person not feel sadness, pain and rage? All professionals in the palliative care field have had such experiences while dealing with the terminally ill.

The challenge of palliative care

If a dying person does not really get in touch with his own strength, confidence, faith and spirit from the bottom of his being, he can't express his feelings properly. But if he is ready to face death, he is like an athlete in a sports event waiting for the starting signal. With tranquility and peace of mind, he is always ready for the god of Hades to tell him, "Come!"

Palliative care workers provide necessary medical help and try to assist patients to release their emotions and feelings. But is this really possible? Can medical personnel accept all the emotions and feelings (including anger and blame) of a dying patient? Although this is a basic duty of medical professionals, it is not always an easy thing to do. When you least expect it, patients may suddenly make you the target of their anger and condemnation. How can medical personnel manage their own emotions while facing patients' anger and criticism?

Can medical professionals abandon their "superior" positions (such as "I'm healthier than the patient" or "I'm the one who is taking care of the patient") and devote themselves to providing both physical and spiritual help to patients? This is a serious, sacred question.

Patience

Through their experiences with the terminally ill, palliative care workers must learn to have patience. As it says in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, "When waves of pain and grief wash over them, we should share their emotions with them. Acceptance, time and patience will allow these feelings to flow away and the patients to return to their own dignity, tranquility and understanding."